Results
Doppler measurements for planetary studies
Observations summary & Station performance
Sessions targetting spacecraft are conducted two to three per times per week with a different configuration of radio telescopes. The observations are used to study the phase scintillation due to the propagation of the carrier signal along the solar wind. They are also a good diagnostic tool to evaluate the performance and sensitivity of the radio telescope.
SNR detections vs
radio telescopes
Spacecraft signal can be utilised as a powerful diagnostic tool beyond immediate applications for space and radio science. Measurements are used to determine sensitivity of the antenna and system noise of the system. One indicator is the relative Signal-to-Noise ratio between the carrier signal and the floor noise.
Phase scintillation vs.
solar elongation
Variations in the flux density of a radio wave propagating in the solar system are associated with the interplanetary plasma scintillation (IPS). The scintillation is derived from the phase fluctuations of a carrier signal of a planetary spacecraft. Regular observations of Mars Express (MEX) covering the full orbit of Mars around the Sun have been conducted since 2014. The observations have restarted a short break using the University of Tasmania radio telescopes.
List of all observations conducted is found: Observations